Page 208 of Conquered
“Sit the fuck down,old man,” he snarls, and warmth suffuses my limbs at his defence of me.
I smirk as Rafe does as his son orders, and takes his seat once more.
“You like to keep things interesting I see, naughty girl,” Julian chuckles next to my ear, and I literally have to swallow down vomit at his words, chastising me like he’s my sugar daddy.Fucking hell.
His blasted hand lands back on my bare skin making me jump, and he guides me to an empty chair next to Jannet Griffiths, Ash on my other side.
“And you know me and my wife, Samantha,” Julian finishes, pulling out the chair for me as his wife doesn’t even look up from studying something on the table.
“Nice to see you again, Samantha,” I say, lowering myself in my chair as Julian pushes it in. She looks up, startled.
“Oh, Lilly,” she starts, her voice soft and wispy like a puff of smoke. “I didn’t know that you were coming.”
“I told you, Mom,” Ash says from beside me, his hand coming to my thigh and squeezing gently underneath the table.
“Silly me,” she says breathlessly, then goes back to staring at her empty plate. She jumps when Julian claps his hands.
“Let’s begin!” he calls, and the doors open to reveal servers in smart black tailcoats and white gloves, holding small plates, which must be our starters.
Ash leans in, his ginger scent calming me as it wraps around my body like a warm hug.
“Princess,” he murmurs in my ear, the same one his father just spoke into, but the shivers I get this time are all from pleasure.
“‘O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.’”
My breath catches and my cheeks flush as he quotes Shakespeare at me, his tone hushed, reminding me of the first time he told me he loved me on Halloween.
“Whispering sweet nothings already, eh, boy?!” Chad shouts from across the table, my eyes darting up in time to see him lick his fucking lips again as he looks at me, and effectively dousing all my warm and fuzzies.Wanker.
“Chad,” Julian snaps out, my head turning to see him with narrowed grey eyes, staring at the other man.
“Apologies, Julian,” Chad murmurs, looking quickly down in an act of submission.What the fuck is going on?
“Let’s eat,” Julian announces, his tone light as if he didn’t just tell off his business partner and long-term friend.
Ash squeezes my hand before letting go and picking up his cutlery to eat. I look at my plate, noticing a seafood starter, then stare panicked at my cutlery, having no fucking clue which ones to use.
“Outside in, sweetie,” a soft voice says to my left, and I turn with a grateful smile as Jannet, Jax’s mum, picks up her own smaller set of cutlery from the outside and pointedly looks at mine.
“Thanks,” I chuckle, copying her. “I was a little lost.”
